By their second record, 2002′s Surrounded by Thieves, High on Fire had established themselves as thunderous gladiators battling along with tempos that swayed back and forth from trudging doom to full-throttle gallops. Through the cloying heat and frigid winters, consistency has always been the band’s forte, whether their sword-grasping hands were being guided by the production of indie maverick Steve Albini on 2005′s groundbreaking Blessed Black Wings, Seattle scene pioneer Jack Endino on 2007′s axe-slashing Death is This Communion, or Rick Rubin protégé Greg Fideleman on 2010′s slicker, but more musically diverse Snakes For the Divine.

With Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou hired to handle the knobs for De Vermis Mysteriis, fans had every reason to expect High on Fire would continue to reign as the Motorhead of amphetamine doom. Then frontman Matt Pike had a moment of clarity, possibly due to the extra time he had to think last year when he stopped binging on painkillers. Perhaps inspired by his friends in Mastodon, Pike wrote a full-fledged concept album with surreal plot points that guide the tone of the songs.

The story is as warped as Pike’s main inspirations — HP Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard — revolving around Jesus’s twin… read more »